Fire measures

As someone who lives in the urban-wildland interface off Highway 46, John Lindsey’s prediction of a “fierce fire season” was disconcerting for me.

My family has done everything we’re supposed to do to create a defensible space — planted fire-resistant vegetation, cleared brush 200 feet from the house, pruned tree branches 8 feet from the ground — but we know that’s not enough.

The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change made it clear that we can expect more frequent and severe wildfires as a result of global warming. A carbon fee and dividend that would reduce global warming by curbing carbon emissions would make us a lot safer over the long term.

I hope your readers will join us in urging our legislators to support a revenue-neutral fee on fossil fuels, with the proceeds returned to the taxpayers.